xvii, 295 pages : 23 cm

"War, the most profitable economic activity in the ancient world, transferred wealth from the vanquished to the victor. Invasions, sieges, massacres, annexations, and mass deportations all redistributed property with dramatic consequences for kings and commoners alike. No conqueror ever captured more people or property in so short a lifetime than Alexander the Great in the late fourth century BC. For all its savagery, the creation of Alexander's empire has generally been hailed as a positive economic event for all concerned. Even those harshly critical of Alexander today tend to praise his plundering of Persia as a means of liberating the moribund resources of the East. To test this popular interpretation, The Treasures of Alexander the Great investigates the kinds and quantities of treasure seized by the Macedonian king, from gold and silver to land and slaves. It reveals what became of the king's wealth and what Alexander's redistribution of these vast resources can tell us about his much-disputed policies and personality. Though Alexander owed his vast fortune to war, battle also distracted him from competently managing his spoils and much was wasted, embezzled, deliberately destroyed, or idled unprofitably. The Treasures of Alexander the Great provides a long-overdue and accessible account of Alexander's wealth and its enormous impact on the ancient world"--

Includes bibliographical references (pages 263-280) and index

Introduction: Imagining the Unimaginable; Sources and Methods; Exploring a Neglected past -- 2. Poor Alexander? -- Humbled Origins -- The Making of a Hero -- War and Wealth -- 3. Conquest, Up Close and Costly -- Balkan Treasures -- Asia Minor -- The Middle East and Beyond -- 4. Reciting the Sword's Prayer -- The Lord of All Your Former Possessions -- Booty beyond imagining -- The Sack of Persepolis -- A Historic Haul -- Rajas, Riches, Resentments -- 5. A King's Priorities -- Personal Gifts and Patronage -- Religion and Ceremony -- Cities and Other Infrastructure -- Armies and Navies -- 6. (Mis)Management -- Lucky Thessalian, Weary Macedonian -- Debt and Despair -- Harpalus the Treasurer -- Scams and Schemers -- With Harpalus or the King? -- The Successors -- 7. Conclusion: The Story of the Moral; A Change of Hearts and Minds; Monetization; Counting Coins; What We Can Say About What We Can See -- Appendix 1: Ancient Measures and Modern Conversions -- Appendix 2: Summary of Reported Assets -- Appendix 3: Summary of Reported Debits -- Appendix 4: Where Is It Now?

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